New Orleans braced for new weather onslaught

On the eve of Hurricane Katrina’s third anniversary, a nervous New Orleans watched as another storm threatened to test everything the city has rebuilt, and officials made preliminary plans to evacuate people, pets and hospitals in an attempt to avoid Katrina-style chaos.

Forecasters warned that Gustav could grow into a dangerous Category 3 hurricane in the next several days and hit somewhere along the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle to Texas – with New Orleans smack in the middle.

“I’m panicking,” said Evelyn Fuselier of Chalmette, whose home was submerged in 14 feet of floodwater when Katrina hit.

Fuselier said she has been back in her home one year this month, and called watching Gustav swirl toward the Gulf of Mexico indescribable.

“Is my house going to flood again? Am I going to have to go through all this again?” she asked.

Taking no chances, city officials began preliminary planning to evacuate and lock down the city in hopes of avoiding the catastrophe that followed the 2005 storm.

Mayor Ray Nagin left the Democratic National Convention in Denver to return home for the preparations.

Governor Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency to lay the groundwork for US federal assistance, and put 3,000 National Guard troops on standby.

If a Category 3 or stronger hurricane comes within 60 hours of the city, New Orleans plans to institute a mandatory evacuation order.